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Romo roulette could be part of off-season quarterback spin

After losing his job to Dak Prescott this season, Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Tony Romo, right, could resurface with a contender next year. (Michael Ainsworth / The Associated Press)

By Mark MaskeThe The Washington Post

Sat., Dec. 10, 2016

The upcoming NFL off-season could provide plenty of quarterback-related intrigue if it delivers a league-wide reshuffling of prominent veterans that could include Tony Romo, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick.

There almost never are enough proven quarterbacks or top NFL draft prospects at the position to go around. So quarterback-needy teams might have to contemplate taking a chance on Romo, currently the sport’s most celebrated backup in Dallas while rookie sensation Dak Prescott vies to take the Cowboys to a Super Bowl, or Cutler, whose injury-shortened season with the Bears has some observers wondering if his time in Chicago is done.

There are younger quarterbacks who would be viewed as safer bets by many teams if they become available. Kirk Cousins is having a superb season for the Washington Redskins and is eligible for unrestricted free agency. But the Redskins seem likely to sign him to a long-term deal or use the franchise-player tag on him for a second straight year.

The New England Patriots could trade Jimmy Garoppolo after his successful two-start stint this season while Tom Brady served his Deflategate suspension. But the Patriots’ asking price probably would be considerable and interested teams would have to judge whether Garoppolo has shown enough to be worth a lofty draft pick or picks.

The considerations would be far different for any team that might ponder trading for Romo. He turns 37 in April and barely has played during the past two seasons. He lost the starting job in Dallas this year when he suffered a back injury during the preseason and Prescott thrived in his absence, leading the Cowboys to 11 straight victories and a league-best record of 11-1.

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The Cowboys have given no public indications that they will be eager to part with Romo in the off-season. But assuming that Prescott remains entrenched as the starter, it’s unlikely Romo would want to stay as a backup or that the Cowboys would find it prudent to keep him in that role with a contract that is to count $24.7 million against next season’s salary cap. When Romo returned to active duties and delivered what amounted to his public concession speech that Prescott deserved the starting job, he said he wanted to play again. In that way, it also had the sound of a farewell address, although Romo remains one injury to Prescott away from being back in the Cowboys’ lineup this season.

“He’ll find a place to be a starter if he wants to keep playing,” a front-office executive with one NFL team said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in exchange for giving a frank assessment of another organization’s player. “It’ll be like when Peyton [Manning] was available. He’ll end up in a place where a championship is possible right away. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Could Romo, like Manning, land in Denver for the second act of his NFL career? That would make some sense if the Broncos, on the heels of last season’s Super Bowl title, end this season in disappointing fashion. They would have to decide that Trevor Siemian, the second-year pro who won the starting job this season, is not the answer and that Paxton Lynch, the rookie selected in the opening round of this year’s NFL draft, is not ready to take over in 2017.

If not Denver, then where? The New York Jets have two veteran quarterbacks, in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith, eligible for free agency and two young quarterbacks, in Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg, yet to demonstrate they’re starter material. But would anyone involved be confident that Romo would be the answer for the Jets and, just as importantly, that the Jets would be the answer for Romo?

The Arizona Cardinals might be a possibility if they opt against sticking with Carson Palmer. But would the Cardinals consider Romo an upgrade over Palmer? A start-over situation in Cleveland or in Jacksonville, should the Jaguars give up on Blake Bortles, would seem to make little sense for Romo. His list of potential destinations seems relatively narrow, at least at this point.

The market also could be limited for Cutler if he’s on it. He is on the injured reserve list after suffering a season-ending labrum tear in his throwing shoulder. Cutler, who turns 34 in April, played in only five games this season and didn’t play particularly well, throwing five interceptions to go with four touchdown passes and posting a passer rating of 78.1.

The Bears will have an interesting decision to make. They would absorb modest salary cap hits of just $2 million next year and $1 million in 2018 if he’s released. But keeping Cutler would be a relatively inexpensive proposition. His contract contains no more guaranteed money and pays him a comparatively affordable salary of $12.5 million next season if he’s retained, plus $2.5 million in prospective roster bonuses. A team also could trade for Cutler and inherit that contract.

“I don’t think Cutler would be anyone’s first choice,” the front office executive said. “But not everyone gets their first choice. He could come into the mix for someone.”

Cutler had a good 2015 season for the Bears playing for their former offensive coordinator, Adam Gase. Cutler threw only 11 interceptions, his fewest in a season since 2011, and had 21 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 92.3. But Gase left to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and Cutler perhaps has fallen into disfavor again.

Kaepernick, likewise, could be attempting to reassemble his NFL career in another city. His reworked contract with the San Francisco 49ers allows him to opt out of the deal and become a free agent.

The 49ers are having a miserable season, with 11 consecutive losses and a record of 1-11, and Kaepernick initially was a backup to Blaine Gabbert. But he was given the starting job by coach Chip Kelly in October and actually played well during a recent four-game stretch, totaling eight touchdown passes and two interceptions, before being benched during last Sunday’s 1-for-5, four-yard passing calamity in an ugly, bad-weather loss at Chicago. He is to remain the starter, however.

It is unclear how the controversy generated by Kaepernick’s national anthem protests this year would affect the level of interest he would attract on the free agent market. It reportedly remains possible that he could re-sign with the 49ers even after opting out of his current deal. Kaepernick was linked to a possible trade to the Broncos, Browns or Jets last offseason but was unwilling to rework his contract at the time to accommodate a deal.

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